Tuesday 8th November 2011At the Tech 5 Stadium, Westfield Lane, South Elmsall
Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup
Frickley Athletic (1) 3
Jack Watts 31, 71, Stuart Ludlam 47
Dinnington Town (1) 1
Curtis Gregory 38
Jack Watts 31, 71, Stuart Ludlam 47
Dinnington Town (1) 1
Curtis Gregory 38
Admission £5, Programme £1, Attendance 76
Frickley Athletic:
Ben Saynor, Kelvin Bleau, Mark Whitehouse, Grant Darley, Stuart Ludlam, Mark Gray, Jack Watts, James Ashmore, Peter Knox (Brad Grayson 82min), Ollie Ryan (Matthew Semley 82min), Ryan Mallon (Karl Jones 72min)
Unused Subs - Ollie Steeple, Lincoln Adams.
Left click to enlarge image
The Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup is a much maligned competition, that comes some way down the food chain of importance for most clubs and fans alike ... note tonight's slashed admission price and paltry attendance.
Fixtures in County Cup competitions get priority over most other games, much to the chagrin of the majority of people who's teams are involved in these tournaments, who don't want their League campaigns disrupting mid season.
One can sympathise with the club's viewpoint on this outdated arrangement, whereby such competitions have a stop/start effect on planning and preparations, cause headaches for those who have rearrange games around the S&HFA Senior Cup schedule and create a backlog of fixtures in more prestigious competitions.
The Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup
... it really pulls the crowds in!
The fog came and went
Stuart Ludlam put the home side back in front with the first attack of the second half.
The Blues upped the ante after the break, but they just weren't getting the rub of the green in front of goal as numerous chances went begging.
Knox and Ryan were having so much bad luck they must've run over a black cat and it's kittens on the way to the game.
'Dinno' pushed forward for a few minutes, looking for an equaliser, which gave their defence a well earned breather, albeit a very short one.
A flurry of corner kicks came to nothing and Frickley pegged the visitors back in their own half again.
But then Dinnington served notice, that in spite of Frickley having the lion's share of possession, this game wasn't over yet, as Dacho Khutsishvili hit a rasping shot against the Blues cross bar on 67 minutes.
Peter Knox and Ollie Ryan combined to create a chance for Jack Watts on 71 minutes and the home side were 3-1 ahead.
As the game entered the last ten minutes, it looked as though the visitors resistance was finally broken and Peter Rinkcavage took the opportunity to throw on a fresh pairing up front.
Off came Ryan and Knox, who had both worked really hard tonight, with Brad Grayson and Matt Semley (the latter of who has been scoring prolifically for Frickley's Under 19's this season) coming on to replace them.
Grayson almost scored immediately after entering the fray, but he shot narrowly wide from 20 yards out.
Frickley ought to have won this game by a larger margin given all the attempts they had on goal, but the visitors never stopped plucking away and were still in it until Jack Watts scored the third goal for the Blues.
The Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup, eh?
It gets you out of the house for some fresh air, I suppose!
WOO HOO!
The A1 southbound wasn't closed tonight and we were home in next to no time :-)
My schedule for the nest few days:
It depends on how late I leave the house tomorrow night; but I'll either be at West Bridgford Colts (v Harworth CI U19's), Field Mill (Stags U19's v Stalybridge Celtic U19's), or Cannon Park (Retford United U19's v Dunkirk U19's).
Thursday, I'll be on the outskirts of 'Sunny Scunny' for Bottesford Town U19's v Frickley Athletic U19's.
Friday, Rum Diary, Doncaster Vue Cinema ... with 'our lass'.
Saturday, Wembley Stadium, England v Spain ... without her!
Frickley Athletic:Ben Saynor, Kelvin Bleau, Mark Whitehouse, Grant Darley, Stuart Ludlam, Mark Gray, Jack Watts, James Ashmore, Peter Knox (Brad Grayson 82min), Ollie Ryan (Matthew Semley 82min), Ryan Mallon (Karl Jones 72min)
Unused Subs - Ollie Steeple, Lincoln Adams.
Left click to enlarge imageDinnington Town:
Luke Hands, Ryan Goddinson (John Roper 72min), Daniel Hoyland, Thomas Fairweather, Andrew Taylor, Jason Slew (Liam Cartledge 68min), Kieran Gallagher (James Roper 72min), Matt Smith, Joquin Semedo, Dachi Khutsishvili, Curtis Gregory.
Luke Hands, Ryan Goddinson (John Roper 72min), Daniel Hoyland, Thomas Fairweather, Andrew Taylor, Jason Slew (Liam Cartledge 68min), Kieran Gallagher (James Roper 72min), Matt Smith, Joquin Semedo, Dachi Khutsishvili, Curtis Gregory.
The Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup is a much maligned competition, that comes some way down the food chain of importance for most clubs and fans alike ... note tonight's slashed admission price and paltry attendance.Fixtures in County Cup competitions get priority over most other games, much to the chagrin of the majority of people who's teams are involved in these tournaments, who don't want their League campaigns disrupting mid season.
One can sympathise with the club's viewpoint on this outdated arrangement, whereby such competitions have a stop/start effect on planning and preparations, cause headaches for those who have rearrange games around the S&HFA Senior Cup schedule and create a backlog of fixtures in more prestigious competitions.
The Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup... it really pulls the crowds in!
Maybe a solution to alleviate the fixture congestion competitions like this are responsible for causing, whilst boosting the popularity of the County Cup into the bargain, would be to play these sort of games as a pre season curtain raiser.
Surely 'competitive' games in a tournament such as the S&HFA Senior Cup, would be more beneficial to clubs during their preparation for a new season, than a 'warm up', stroll about in the sunshine 'friendly', between two teams of trialists going through the motions, while the spectators go cross eyed trying to keep up with dozens of substitutions.
A reformatted tournament would be one way forward ... the solution must be out there somewhere?
Maybe the Sheffield & Hallamshire FA could look at the recent pre season tournaments hosted by Blackwell Miners Welfare and Teversal FC as a blueprint.
But what do I know!?
Surely 'competitive' games in a tournament such as the S&HFA Senior Cup, would be more beneficial to clubs during their preparation for a new season, than a 'warm up', stroll about in the sunshine 'friendly', between two teams of trialists going through the motions, while the spectators go cross eyed trying to keep up with dozens of substitutions.
A reformatted tournament would be one way forward ... the solution must be out there somewhere?
Maybe the Sheffield & Hallamshire FA could look at the recent pre season tournaments hosted by Blackwell Miners Welfare and Teversal FC as a blueprint.
But what do I know!?
The fog came and wentFrickley had a somewhat experimental squad tonight, but with a starting line up that included Watts, Ashmore, Knox, Ryan and Mallon, it looked as though the plan from the outset was to rack up a few goals and then give a run out to the players who have been promoted through the ranks from the Under 19's this last week ... of course I'm only speculating and don't have any insight to the actual mechanisms behind the scenes at Westfield Lane, so I could be wrong, as per usual.
If Peter Knox had been a bit sharper in front of goal, that script would've worked perfectly, but despite working hard to be in the right place at the right time, the final touch deserted Knox on a couple of occasions.
When he did find his feet, his 25 yard effort rattled against the upright.
In my opinion, Knox needs to be playing on a more frequent basis and it's a real shame his other commitments prevent him from turning out for Frickley more regularly.
The longer the Blues went without scoring, the more chipper and confident Dinnington became ... and Ben Saynor in the Frickley had to pull off a great save to keep out Town's Joquin Semedo's effort.
If Peter Knox had been a bit sharper in front of goal, that script would've worked perfectly, but despite working hard to be in the right place at the right time, the final touch deserted Knox on a couple of occasions.
When he did find his feet, his 25 yard effort rattled against the upright.
In my opinion, Knox needs to be playing on a more frequent basis and it's a real shame his other commitments prevent him from turning out for Frickley more regularly.
The longer the Blues went without scoring, the more chipper and confident Dinnington became ... and Ben Saynor in the Frickley had to pull off a great save to keep out Town's Joquin Semedo's effort.
Jack Watts finally broke the deadlock on 31 minutes, with a close range tap in from an Ollie Ryan pass.
On the balance of play, with all the chances they had created, the home side should have been in command of the game by now.
But goals outweigh any other statistics and on 38 minutes, shortly after Knox had fired wide at the other end, Curtis Gregory dispossessed Kelvin Bleau, cut in from the left and put Dinington level with a cracking goal.
With half time rapidly approaching, on loan Mark Gray fired an hopeful shot in on the Dinnington goal, but Luke Hands saved it comfortably.
With a bit more finesse and composure in front of goal, Frickley would've had this game won already, but Dinnington had countered attacked to good effect at times and took their equaliser well, so as the teams went in at the break, the score was level and the game was still all to play for.
On the balance of play, with all the chances they had created, the home side should have been in command of the game by now.
But goals outweigh any other statistics and on 38 minutes, shortly after Knox had fired wide at the other end, Curtis Gregory dispossessed Kelvin Bleau, cut in from the left and put Dinington level with a cracking goal.
With half time rapidly approaching, on loan Mark Gray fired an hopeful shot in on the Dinnington goal, but Luke Hands saved it comfortably.
With a bit more finesse and composure in front of goal, Frickley would've had this game won already, but Dinnington had countered attacked to good effect at times and took their equaliser well, so as the teams went in at the break, the score was level and the game was still all to play for.
Stuart Ludlam put the home side back in front with the first attack of the second half.The Blues upped the ante after the break, but they just weren't getting the rub of the green in front of goal as numerous chances went begging.
Knox and Ryan were having so much bad luck they must've run over a black cat and it's kittens on the way to the game.
'Dinno' pushed forward for a few minutes, looking for an equaliser, which gave their defence a well earned breather, albeit a very short one.
A flurry of corner kicks came to nothing and Frickley pegged the visitors back in their own half again.
But then Dinnington served notice, that in spite of Frickley having the lion's share of possession, this game wasn't over yet, as Dacho Khutsishvili hit a rasping shot against the Blues cross bar on 67 minutes.
Peter Knox and Ollie Ryan combined to create a chance for Jack Watts on 71 minutes and the home side were 3-1 ahead.As the game entered the last ten minutes, it looked as though the visitors resistance was finally broken and Peter Rinkcavage took the opportunity to throw on a fresh pairing up front.
Off came Ryan and Knox, who had both worked really hard tonight, with Brad Grayson and Matt Semley (the latter of who has been scoring prolifically for Frickley's Under 19's this season) coming on to replace them.
Grayson almost scored immediately after entering the fray, but he shot narrowly wide from 20 yards out.
Frickley ought to have won this game by a larger margin given all the attempts they had on goal, but the visitors never stopped plucking away and were still in it until Jack Watts scored the third goal for the Blues.
The Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup, eh?
It gets you out of the house for some fresh air, I suppose!
The A1 southbound wasn't closed tonight and we were home in next to no time :-)
My schedule for the nest few days:It depends on how late I leave the house tomorrow night; but I'll either be at West Bridgford Colts (v Harworth CI U19's), Field Mill (Stags U19's v Stalybridge Celtic U19's), or Cannon Park (Retford United U19's v Dunkirk U19's).
Thursday, I'll be on the outskirts of 'Sunny Scunny' for Bottesford Town U19's v Frickley Athletic U19's.
Friday, Rum Diary, Doncaster Vue Cinema ... with 'our lass'.
Saturday, Wembley Stadium, England v Spain ... without her!
